Adjustable escutcheon plate



Dec 6, @9241. 1,519,678

L w. GATES ADJUSTABLE ESCUTCHEON PLATE Filed March 29, 1925 INVENTOR.

BY fim' ,1 TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 16,1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

1.0m w. cams, on NEW HAVEN, connnc'rrcu'r, .essrenon To (2. cowmas & com- :Pm, or rmw HAVEN, oonnnorrou'r, A CORPORATION or oonnncrrou'r.

ADJUSTABLE ESCUTCHEON PLATE.

Application filed. March 29, 1923. Serial No. 628,487.

To allwhomz't may concern. V

Be it known that I, LOUIS W. Gems, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Escutcheon' Plate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle door han-. dles, and has for an object to provide an improved mounting for the latch spindle which will allow angular adjustment of the escutcheon plate, should the face of the door be other than at right angles to the axis of the spindle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of this character which is very simple in construction and therefore may be manufactured at low cost and will not be easily gotten out of order in operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a structure for this type of device, which may, if desired, be made of sheet metal, and which will be neat and attractive in appearance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a section through a portion of vehicle door showing my improved spindle and escutcheon applied thereto, the upper half of the escutcheon being also shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the escutcheon. Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation, and a partial sectional view of the escutcheon showing the method of applying the bearing collar for the spindle. Fig.4 is a similar view showing the bearing collar secured in position and Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation and partial section of the bearing collar before it is applied to the escutcheon.

In the drawing I have indicated the door at 10, which may or may not be covered on its opposite sides with sheet metal 11, and I have indicated at 12, a chamber for the usual latch mechanism which I have not shown as it forms no part of my present invention. Secured to the surface of the door by any spherical.

suitable means such'as screws 13, is an escutcheon 14, which may be of any shape desired.

This escutcheon is provided with a laterally extending flange 15, which surrounds an opening 16, and this flange is curved transversely substantially on the arc of a circle so that the opposite surface of the flange form portions of the surfaces of spheres and therefore for the purposes of brevity I desi nate this flange as being substantial y This flange may extend toward either side of the escutcheon but I preferably extend it outwardly as shown.

Extending through the opening in the flange is a bearing collar 17, for the latch operating spindle 18, which has a cylindrical stem 19 mounted to turn in said collar 17 and also having the usual square portion 20. At the outer end of the stem, is provided a shoulder 21, adapted to abut the outer end of bearing collar 17, and on the other side of this collar the spindle carries a ring 22, which may be secured to the spindle by any suitable means such as solder 23. It will be noted that when the bearing collar-17 is in place on the flange 15. this collar is provided with two spaced flanges 24 and 25, which flanges engage the opposite sides of the flange 15. These flanges are alsopreferably curved transversely on the arc of a circle and so are substantially spherical. It

will be further noted that the diameter of the portion of the bearing collar 17 connecting these two flanges 24 and 25 is of less diameter than the opening 16 through the flange 15, and that therefore this collar 17 is adapted for universal adjustment on the flanges 15, or in other'words that the escutcheon may be adjusted angularly in any direction with respect to the axis of the spindle. l

Referring to Figs 3, 4, 5, the preferred method of applying the collar 17 to the escutcheon is indicated. Prior to its application to the escutcheon this hearing collar has a cylindrical portion 26 and a flange 24. The free end of the cylindrical portion is inserted in the opening 16 from the outside as shown in Fig. 3, and

. the inner face of the flange 15, as shown in Fig. 4, to form the inner flange 25. This inner flange is preferably pressed sufliciently tight against the flange 15, that when the spindle is rotated by the handle 27"this collar 17 will not turn in the escutcheon, but the spindle will turn in this collar. However, as the axis of the spindle is fixed when it is applied to the latch, the pressure of the flanges 24 and 25 on the flange 15 should be sufliciently loose to allow the escutcheon to adjust itself angularly with respect to the spindle and fit snugly the surface of the door, should this surface be inclined to the axis of the spindle. This also allows for the provision of a cylindrical bearing for the spindle which is comparatively easy to fit and which will wear considerable time without becoming loose. It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the device is very simple in "construction and therefore may be manufactured at low cost and will not be easily gotten out of order in operation. It will also be apparent that the escutcheon, in view of its extreme simplicity may be stamped from sheet metal if desired. Furthermore the assembly will be very neat and attractive .in ap earance.

aving thus set forth the nature of my invention, what 1 claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with a substantially spherically flange having an opening there- In, a collar extending through said opening and having laterally projecting port-ions engaging the opposite sides of said flange, and a latch spindle mounted to turnin said collar.

2. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with a substantially spherical flange having an opening therethrough, a collar extending through said opening and provided with spaced substantially spherical flanges engaging the escutcheon flange on opposite sides thereof, and a latch spindle moupted to turn in said collar.

3. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with a substantially spherical outwardly'extending flange having an opening therethrough, a collar extending through said opening of smaller diameter than the opening and having laterally extending portions engaging the opposite sides of said flange, and a latch spindle mounted to turn in said collar.

4. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with a substantially sides thereof, and a latch spindle mounted to turn in saidcollar.

5. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with an annular flange, a collar extending through the opening in the flange and having laterally extendin portions engaging the o posite sides of sai flange, and a latch spin le mounted to turn in said collar.

6. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with a substantially spherical flange having an opening therethrough, a collar extending through said opening and provided with spaced substantially spherical flanges engaging the escutcheon flange on opposite sides thereof and a latch spindle mounted to turn in sai collar and provided with spaced shoulders on opposite sides of said collar.

7. In a device of the character described, an escutcheonv adapted to be secured to a door and provided with an annular flange, a collar extending through the opening in the flange of less diameter than the opening and provided with laterally extending portion engaging the opposite sides of said flange, and a latch spindle carried by said collar.

8. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with a substantially spherical flange having an opening therethrough,.a collar extending through said opening of less diameter than the opening and provided with laterally extending portions engaging the opposite sides of said flange, and a latch spindle carried by said collar.

9. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to besecured to a door and provided with a substantially spherical flange having an opening therethrough, a collar extending through said opening of smaller size than the opening and provided with spaced substantially spherical flanges engaging the opposite sides .of said first mentioned flange, and a latch spindle carried by said collar.

10. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a .door and provided with a laterally extending transversely curved flange having an opening therethrough, a collar extending through said opening of less diameter than the opening and provided with laterally extending portions engaging the oppolatemlliyl mien-2a site sides of said flange and a latch spindle carried by said collar.

11. In a device of the character described, a sheet metal escutcheon provided with a extending substantially spherical avin an opening therethrough, a said opening of opening and hav;

flange collar extending throuih smaller diameter than t e ing spaced substantially spherical flanges engaging the first mentioned flange on 0pposite sides thereof, and a latch spindle carried by said collar.

In testimony whereof. I afix my signature.

LQUIS W. GATES. 

